Database Users

Complete wipe/reformat to start brand new

I've searched around various forums to learn how to do a complete wipe of the system to start completely brand new. I'm not talking about simply deleting user data, but system folders as well that may have gotten modified over time. I'm looking for the equivalent of an iPhone restore (it completely wipes out everything and loads the specified firmware).
So far I've seen people saying just to click on factory reset/restore in Android's settings or in CWM, but those only take care of user settings and files. I've also seen some people say that what I want is not possible.
Please clear it up for me. Is there a way to wipe everything (or reformat) to start off new with a chosen firmware from Asus? If not, then what's the closest thing I could do to achieve what I want?
Thanks

+1
need to go back to the start. sick of the android.launcher always force closing.
help would be appreciated.

I just did this yesterday by following the unroot guide on the sticky page. It takes you back to a 8.2.something ROM with the stock recovery and then the OTA brought me right back up to the latest .11 fw.
IT also wiped CWM and now it's bone stock.

zeus2you said:
I just did this yesterday by following the unroot guide on the sticky page. It takes you back to a 8.2.something ROM with the stock recovery and then the OTA brought me right back up to the latest .11 fw.
IT also wiped CWM and now it's bone stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me like this just removes/replaces the rooted files with the regular stock files, then loads the stock ROM over existing files. Yes it will appear as if you are back to out-of-box stock, but I believe you will still have random leftover files spread throughout your filesystem that had to do with modifications to root or whatever.
I'm looking for the equivalent of PC's reformat hard drive, install OS.

Spd2Last said:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me like this just removes/replaces the rooted files with the regular stock files, then loads the stock ROM over existing files. Yes it will appear as if you are back to out-of-box stock, but I believe you will still have random leftover files spread throughout your filesystem that had to do with modifications to root or whatever.
I'm looking for the equivalent of PC's reformat hard drive, install OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went a similar route, mainly by accident. I went through NVflash, which i believe formats and recreates partitions and will flash a rom of your choice. I went straight from format to prime 1.5 in this way. Qualitatively, it does appear a bit snappier than my previous install (root from factory > upgrade to prime).

yeah! i have noticed the leftover files etc too..
I would love to know if you found a way, specially how to format /sdcard and the internal storage

Backwardsblade said:
I went a similar route, mainly by accident. I went through NVflash, which i believe formats and recreates partitions and will flash a rom of your choice. I went straight from format to prime 1.5 in this way. Qualitatively, it does appear a bit snappier than my previous install (root from factory > upgrade to prime).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a way to customize what it is you want to flash? I've only found guides on how to use nvflash with a permade packages.

[Q] Downgrade from 4.2 to 4.1.2

Some apps not working after updated to 4.2, so I'm considering back to 4.1.2.
Though I never done this before since the day I get Nexus 7,
I think use Wug's Nexus Root Toolkit should get it done.
But just for sure:
1. Do I need to unlock/root to flash factory 4.1.2 image? (I think it is not but not so sure)
2. Directory structure seems different from 4.1.2, is it OK just using Toolkit to backup/restore settings?
(Sorry for my English if anything looks impolite)

1) unlock bootloader yes; root no, as you're going to overwrite the system anyways.
Also I'd suggest not using a toolkit, just download the factory image off google's page and run the "flash-all.bat"
2) Use Titanium Backup to backup all app data, wipe after flashing 4.1.2 and then restore apps + data with Titanium again

I just downgraded this morning. All your data will be wiped .. ALL YOUR DATA ... meaning, after I got back to 4.1.2 I was having 13GB of free space on the tablet (out of 13 possible) .
So, if you HAVE a nandroid from the 4.1.2 days, save it to your computer (along with all your files).
If you don't have a 4.1.2 nandroid, at least create now a backup repository with whatever tool you prefer and then save the respective files to PC.
Then, flash the factory image for 4.1.2.
Then copy all your files back to the internal memory, install the backup tool and restore your apps.
The reason behind this is that the update from 4.1.2 to 4.2 has some scripts that are porting the original /data and /sdcard mounts to the new structure used in 4.2
When downgrading, you no longer have scripts to do that for you so the newly installed 4.1.2 will not recognize anything so it will bootloop like crazy (I tried first to restore just the /system ... but all the other data was already affected by the update so was no longer usable).

My thoughts:
If you got the ota, and things messed up, try flashing the 4.2 factory image. That seemed to help me. If you're not rooted already, I would recommend becoming familiar with the adb backup command to backup apps before doing anything else. You have to unlock the boot loader to downgrade or flash the factory 4.2 image, and this will wipe the device.
Once you update either way, definitely take the time to root. You can then use adb restore or titanium backup to restore from the adb backup you made before unlocking.
Just be aware that adb backup doesn't seem to backup all apps, and that titanium backup isn't exactly fast parsing through a big adb backup file.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

step by step?
srry, very nooby questions:
how do i flash my nexus?
where do i find the factory image?
what is the backup tool?
ro_explorer said:
I just downgraded this morning. All your data will be wiped .. ALL YOUR DATA ... meaning, after I got back to 4.1.2 I was having 13GB of free space on the tablet (out of 13 possible) .
So, if you HAVE a nandroid from the 4.1.2 days, save it to your computer (along with all your files).
If you don't have a 4.1.2 nandroid, at least create now a backup repository with whatever tool you prefer and then save the respective files to PC.
Then, flash the factory image for 4.1.2.
Then copy all your files back to the internal memory, install the backup tool and restore your apps.
The reason behind this is that the update from 4.1.2 to 4.2 has some scripts that are porting the original /data and /sdcard mounts to the new structure used in 4.2
When downgrading, you no longer have scripts to do that for you so the newly installed 4.1.2 will not recognize anything so it will bootloop like crazy (I tried first to restore just the /system ... but all the other data was already affected by the update so was no longer usable).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

HellcatDroid said:
1) unlock bootloader yes; root no, as you're going to overwrite the system anyways.
Also I'd suggest not using a toolkit, just download the factory image off google's page and run the "flash-all.bat"
2) Use Titanium Backup to backup all app data, wipe after flashing 4.1.2 and then restore apps + data with Titanium again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
restoring my apps with Titanium Backup is unsuccessful , when i first tried a full app+data restore it freezes at 0 percent
and when i tried backuping app the missing apps , it worked but after i rebooted it . It went into a bootloop

Youssef Hossam said:
restoring my apps with Titanium Backup is unsuccessful , when i first tried a full app+data restore it freezes at 0 percent and when i tried backuping app the missing apps , it worked but after i rebooted it . It went into a bootloop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assumed you are referring to downgrade from 4.2.1 to 4.1.2 and rooted to run TB, so the basic stock rom is up & running otherwise, correct?
Let's try Plan B instead - go into (Custom) Recovery and wipe dalvik cache first, then reboot. Give it a few minutes to settle and try to do your TB restore WITHOUT data, and see if it works. The /SD and/or /SD/0 directory structures are setup differently on the N7 and trying to retore with your custom settings will just make it more difficult & complicated. If this works, you can then try to selectively restore one or more with data and hopefully without going into endless bootloop again.
Plan C - go to Play Store, then Settings and "All" - you should see all of your Apps and what's installed, etc. - and install from there, it's semi-manual but it works for me 99.8% of the time when it would otherwise freeze within TB, especially true when switching custom Rom & kernels.
I usually manually copy & move back items such as documents, pictures & mp3's, etc. from standalone/usb backup drives or cloud storage back into the device once everything else are up & running properly.
Let us know if this helps & working for you or not.

Thankss !
Letitride said:
Assumed you are referring to downgrade from 4.2.1 to 4.1.2 and rooted to run TB, so the basic stock rom is up & running otherwise, correct?
Let's try Plan B instead - go into (Custom) Recovery and wipe dalvik cache first, then reboot. Give it a few minutes to settle and try to do your TB restore WITHOUT data, and see if it works. The /SD and/or /SD/0 directory structures are setup differently on the N7 and trying to retore with your custom settings will just make it more difficult & complicated. If this works, you can then try to selectively restore one or more with data and hopefully without going into endless bootloop again.
Plan C - go to Play Store, then Settings and "All" - you should see all of your Apps and what's installed, etc. - and install from there, it's semi-manual but it works for me 99.8% of the time when it would otherwise freeze within TB, especially true when switching custom Rom & kernels.
I usually manually copy & move back items such as documents, pictures & mp3's, etc. from standalone/usb backup drives or cloud storage back into the device once everything else are up & running properly.
Let us know if this helps & working for you or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help , but I think the problem was that there were apps in the backup only compatible with the custom ROM I had and android 4.2.1 xD
I restored the apps one by one , but I think if I deleted the extra custom rom apps , the process would have finished without any problems

Hi fellow people,
i'm a noob just made my xda account like 5 mins ago. I've been trying to search for my problem but I haven't really a found a direct answer. So yesterday I just got my Samsung Galaxy nexus update to 4.2.1. I was really excited until I started having the battery issues, screen lock issues, and overheating problem. I really don't like 4.2.1 and want to downgrade my version back 4.1.2. My carrier is the Mobicility (Canadian). I did not do anything previously with this phone such as rooting it, doing all the funky stuff that will void my warranty. I heard about flashing some google images to get back 4.1.2 but I'm not sure if I need to root or how to like do it through the gnex toolkit that mskip made. As well what if the difference between yakju and maguro? I heard if you flash the wrong image it will brick your phone or something like that. If there is a method without having to root it and lose all my contacts, then I would prefer that a lot.
Thanks,
mleung754

mleung754 said:
Hi fellow people,
i'm a noob just made my xda account like 5 mins ago. I've been trying to search for my problem but I haven't really a found a direct answer. So yesterday I just got my Samsung Galaxy nexus update to 4.2.1. I was really excited until I started having the battery issues, screen lock issues, and overheating problem. I really don't like 4.2.1 and want to downgrade my version back 4.1.2. My carrier is the Mobicility (Canadian). I did not do anything previously with this phone such as rooting it, doing all the funky stuff that will void my warranty. I heard about flashing some google images to get back 4.1.2 but I'm not sure if I need to root or how to like do it through the gnex toolkit that mskip made. As well what if the difference between yakju and maguro? I heard if you flash the wrong image it will brick your phone or something like that. If there is a method without having to root it and lose all my contacts, then I would prefer that a lot.
Thanks,
mleung754
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont have to root but you need to UNLOCK the bootloader which will obviously erase all your data(and VOID your warranty). you can find the factory image here https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images . just flash the appropriate image and you should be as good to go.

mleung754 said:
Hi fellow people,
i'm a noob just made my xda account like 5 mins ago. I've been trying to search for my problem but I haven't really a found a direct answer. So yesterday I just got my Samsung Galaxy nexus update to 4.2.1. I was really excited until I started having the battery issues, screen lock issues, and overheating problem. I really don't like 4.2.1 and want to downgrade my version back 4.1.2. My carrier is the Mobicility (Canadian). I did not do anything previously with this phone such as rooting it, doing all the funky stuff that will void my warranty. I heard about flashing some google images to get back 4.1.2 but I'm not sure if I need to root or how to like do it through the gnex toolkit that mskip made. As well what if the difference between yakju and maguro? I heard if you flash the wrong image it will brick your phone or something like that. If there is a method without having to root it and lose all my contacts, then I would prefer that a lot.
Thanks,
mleung754
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mleung754,
You are posting in the wrong forum.
Asus Nexus 7 is not the same thing as a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Ignore mmystere68's remarks.

Some questions about Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and root/ROMs, etc.

Just got a GTab 2 7.0 a few days ago. A P3113, so only 8GB of storage, about half of which is the ROM and crap apps. I've rooted before (had a KF 1st gen when it came out), and just wondering about a few things with the GTab:
Right now, I don't mind the stock ROM so much. There are problem things that would be "nice to have", but right now, would like to generally stay as "stock" as possible. That being said, I'd still like to "de-crap" the ROM to free up some storage space, and I assume that might lead to it running a bit better, since so much seems to just pop-in while running other apps. So:
I know I need to root first, so my first question - how reliable is that? I'm on a Mac, but have access to a netbook running Win7, so could run Odin to "get things done". I'd hate to brick the thing, still having 51 weeks of warranty left. (I also understand that I might want to install something else to keep the flash count from showing it's been flashed).
Once root'ed, is it better to use one of the "de-crapped" ROMs floating around? And if so, which seems "best" (yeah, I know the moderators hate the "which is best" - I'm looking for stock - and STABLE)
Or, is it better to eliminate the apps myself? (Not sure if this is a wholesale "rm" to remove certain apps from a terminal app, using adb, or if they have some uninstallers embedded somewhere, or...) - so better to use one of the ROMs floating around?
Is the GTab 2 "stable", so even if you trash a ROM, you can still get into the ROM manager to restore a previously working, or stock, ROM?
I'll probably come up with a couple more questions, especially depending on the replies... TIA

Hi..
I can answer some of your questions. I hope that helps!
1- Rooting is easy and reliable. you may use "CF-Auto-Root" tool (search for it in XDA forum).
But you need to remember that rooting and custom ROMs void your warranty.
2- If you just need to free some storage space, you may use an app such as "Clean Master" to uninstall system apps and get rid of temp and junk files.
3- If you opt to use a custom ROM make sure it is very well supported and maintained.

aisais said:
Hi..
I can answer some of your questions. I hope that helps!
1- Rooting is easy and reliable. you may use "CF-Auto-Root" tool (search for it in XDA forum).
But you need to remember that rooting and custom ROMs void your warranty.
2- If you just need to free some storage space, you may use an app such as "Clean Master" to uninstall system apps and get rid of temp and junk files.
3- If you opt to use a custom ROM make sure it is very well supported and maintained.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - but prior to using Clean Master I assume I better either get a stock image to reload, or use CWM so I can make a backup of the ROM before messing something up?

tundrwd said:
Thanks - but prior to using Clean Master I assume I better either get a stock image to reload, or use CWM so I can make a backup of the ROM before messing something up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Taking a backup is always good thing to do. I suggest you try clean master to know how it works and what does it do.

aisais said:
Taking a backup is always good thing to do. I suggest you try clean master to know how it works and what does it do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - I plan to use Clean Master. Allows me to be selective about what I remove/move, instead of getting a ROM from someone and they removed the ONE THING I really wanted.

Ok, got it rooted and CWM installed.
HOWEVER, when I boot into CWM, I DON'T see an option to backup my ROM (I've used TWRP before on my KF, so the menu is different).
What I've got on my screen in CWM:
Android system recover <3e>
Volume up/down to move highlight;
power button to select.
reboot system now
apply update from ADB
apply update from external storage
wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache partition
apply update from cache​
That's it. Where's the option to do a ROM backup? Oh, used file P3113_SAMSUNG_RECOVERY_SUPERSU-0.96_BUSYBOX-1.20.2.tar.md5.zip Had CWM and Root all in one. I do have GT-P3113_ClockworkMod-Recovery_6.0.1.0.tar as well. Should I just go through procedure again to flash this CWM? Will it still retain SU?

nandroid backup ok to use? Seems it's just a wrapper for a backup script...

Ok - I'll reply to myself.
I don't know what was wrong with the CWM I installed via the aforementioned file (P3113_SAMSUNG_RECOVERY_SUPERSU-0.96_BUSYBOX-1.20.2.tar.md5.zip), but I went to the CWM site, D/L'ed the latest touch enabled CWM for the P3113 (6.0.2.3, I believe), and installed it over the existing recovery image on the device (I had to create my own .tar.md5 - easy with *nix).
Anyway, I now have access to the backup options by scrolling down. The image from P3113_SAMSUNG_RECOVERY_SUPERSU-0.96_BUSYBOX-1.20.2.tar.md5.zip, simply wouldn't scroll beyond what I listed earlier. Now can scroll down, make backups, etc.
Haven't tried yet to re-install the image I made with nandroid - I'm a bit leery of that - so I'll just get the stock 4.1.1 ROM from sammobile, and keep it around....

tundrwd said:
Ok - I'll reply to myself.
I don't know what was wrong with the CWM I installed via the aforementioned file (P3113_SAMSUNG_RECOVERY_SUPERSU-0.96_BUSYBOX-1.20.2.tar.md5.zip), but I went to the CWM site, D/L'ed the latest touch enabled CWM for the P3113 (6.0.2.3, I believe), and installed it over the existing recovery image on the device (I had to create my own .tar.md5 - easy with *nix).
Anyway, I now have access to the backup options by scrolling down. The image from P3113_SAMSUNG_RECOVERY_SUPERSU-0.96_BUSYBOX-1.20.2.tar.md5.zip, simply wouldn't scroll beyond what I listed earlier. Now can scroll down, make backups, etc.
Haven't tried yet to re-install the image I made with nandroid - I'm a bit leery of that - so I'll just get the stock 4.1.1 ROM from sammobile, and keep it around....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I did today, grabbed the stock image for a backup, rooted with Odin and CWM then flashed a CM based 4.3 ROM. Piece of cake.

[Q] Simplified Root Instructions?

This is the first time I've ever rooted an Android device. The process has been fraught with uncertainty and misinformation from around the internet. I'd like to describe what I have come to understand is the current preferred method, and ask a few questions to hopefully get my S5 where I want it to be.
I don't want to do anything to crazy (yet, anyway). I just want to remove some bloat and get the notification panel as close to vanilla Android as possible.
So far, I have ran towelroot, which was incredibly simple.
I installed SuperSU from the Play Store. During installation, it got stuck at "Disabling KNOX...". I have since learned that this is common and a reboot usually fixes it. However, I have also learned that I probably don't want to disable KNOX yet anyway, since I am not going to flash a custom ROM until there is one that is known to be stable and is able to create the vanilla Android experience that I want. Some people said that I should have installed SuperSU from chainfire's page instead of the Play Store, but I think that was old information.
Edit: I'm editing these steps as I go along:
1. Install busybox and the Safestrap APK
2. Use Safestrap to set up a new ROM slot and use that slot from now on (consider the italics a strikethrough)
^Even though the instruction video on the Safestrap page said this, apparently that's not what most people do. They use Safestrap to make a nandroid backup, and then use only one slot, the stock ROM slot, to experiment or flash a new ROM.
3. Install Titanium Backup
Edit: I also had to install SD KitKat Fixer and then reboot afterward to allow TB to write to the SD card...
4. Use Titanium Backup to backup all apps and data to SD card
5. Use Titanium to freeze processes that I carefully choose
Edit: I froze everything from the list here.
6. Install Xposed framework
7. Find the modules to customize Android how I want
Does that sound right? Any tips/advice?

ergalthema said:
So far, I have ran towelroot, which was incredibly simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By doing this, you are rooted.
Even if you are not going to flash a custom rom, you can and probably should disable KNOX. Doing so will not trip the counter.
Install busybox and the Safestrap APK - This is indeed necessary if you want to install another ROM to customize. The whole point of safestrap is to flash ROMs and is not related to rooting itself. The other use of Safestrap is to create a complete backup of your current system so that if you mess something up, you can restore to a known, working state.
Use Safestrap to set up a new ROM slot and use that slot from now on - This is fine if you want to switch between ROMs. I know some people like to do this, but I am not one of them.
Install Titanium Backup - absolutely
Use Titanium to freeze processes that I carefully choose - correct and there are threads with lists of APKs to freeze. You will also want to make sure you freeze SDM so that it doesn't prompt for security updates.
Use Titanium as a backup? (not sure about this) - this is to backup your apps, texts, things like that but NOT your ROM
Install Xposed framework
Find the modules to customize Android how I want

jcollier said:
Install busybox and the Safestrap APK - This is indeed necessary if you want to install another ROM to customize. The whole point of safestrap is to flash ROMs and is not related to rooting itself. The other use of Safestrap is to create a complete backup of your current system so that if you mess something up, you can restore to a known, working state.
Use Safestrap to set up a new ROM slot and use that slot from now on - This is fine if you want to switch between ROMs. I know some people like to do this, but I am not one of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first step in installing Xposed in this thread is to do a nandroid backup. I'm not totally sure what that is, but someone in another thread said implied that Safestrap essentially does the same thing. That is why I was planning to use Safestrap.

ergalthema said:
The first step in installing Xposed in this thread is to do a nandroid backup. I'm not totally sure what that is, but someone in another thread said implied that Safestrap essentially does the same thing. That is why I was planning to use Safestrap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what I meant by this: "The other use of Safestrap is to create a complete backup of your current system so that if you mess something up, you can restore to a known, working state."
A nandroid is a backup image of your system so that you can restore it if you screw something up. Safestrap isn't "essentially" doing the same thing, it is doing exactly that thing. Safestrap is a way to make a custom recovery work on our phone without an unlocked bootloader.

Good advice up to here, but you might want to hold off on using Exposed. As I understand it, Exposed lets you tinker with the existing stock ROM. I don't think I would want to do that, and I have rooted and ROM flashed several Android devices over the years. But its up to you.
With your being new to rooting, I'll offer this advice:
Titanium Backup (a.k.a. "TIBU") is a good way to back up all your apps. Here are some suggestions in using it:
--Buy the PRO version. It has more features, is not very expensive, and helps support a really cool app that is very handy.
--Set the Preferences/Backup folder to your REAL external SD Card. It will default to internal storage (also called "sd card"....don't get me started lol) which is IMO totally useless. If you lose internal storage due to corruption or whatever, you would lose all your backups. Having them on the REAL SD card you can also archive them to your PC.
--Set your Max Backup History to some number larger than the default "1". I use 7. Why? Well, have you ever seen the developer of one of your favorite apps suddenly screw it completely up in some update? Or, worse yet, sell out to some other vendor who now made it a PAY SUBSCRIPTION app?? I have. By keeping multiple backups you can roll back in time to previous versions that you know WORKED when those things happen. I have several apps I will never update, especially on the Store, for various reasons. (TIBU used to be able to disconnect the link to the Store so apps didn't try to update, but Google broke their ability to do that).
--When you do make TIBU backups, select "app and system data" which is IMO incorrectly worded and causes confusion. It should read "app and APP data". Because that is what it really does. Backs up the data IN your system that is associated ONLY with the APP. NOT any "system files". When you restore a backup, restore "app and system data" and you not only get the app installed, you get all your data it created, as well as all your customized settings restored! It is a real time saver. And you can "usually" even do this with a new device, using the TIBU backup folder on an SD card you had in some previous Android device. I've done it many times.
Safestrap installs a custom version of TWRP recovery. From that you can make the aforementioned "nandroid" backups of your complete system. (You won't see the word "nandroid" in TWRP while you are doing this. It just calls them backups). Couple of caveats with TWRP (and the Safestrap version):
--The date/time stamp used in both TWRP and its alternative, Clockworkmod Recovery (CW) will always be wrong. I've read (in short) there is no way for them to fix it. BUT........you most certainly CAN edit the backup file name to be whatever you like while setting it up to make the backup. So I recommend deleting the portion of the name that is the screwed up date it will generate, and putting in a date you can read, like my preferred format of 2014-07-10-1727 which is today at 5:27 PM, or whatever format you like.
--By default, TWRP recovery uses (in the Advanced settings) an inane "power saving" feature of the display, which will maddeningly keep turning it off and making you think the phone died while it is in the middle of making your backup. A - ALWAYS keep your phone on the charger when working in Recovery!! Don't even start unless it has at least 40% charge. B- Turn OFF the inane "power saving feature" and get some peace of mind. The screen will stay lit forever, until you reboot system when you are done.
--By default, TWRP will be set to use INTERNAL STORAGE as the place to keep your nandroids. Again, I consider that a very bad idea. Use a REAL External SD card and keep them there. And make regular backups to your PC of the SD card. I've seen a great many SD cards suddenly fail without warning. Your device will pop up and tell you the SD card is corrupt, and you need to format it. Usually, there is no way to recover the lost data on the card when that happens.
--On my Galaxy S5, making a nandroid of the stock OS via Safestrap took up over 4GB! That is almost 4 x what I normally see making a nandroid of a custom ROM on some previous device. So make sure you have plenty of room on whatever SD card you choose to use.

jcollier said:
Even if you are not going to flash a custom rom, you can and probably should disable KNOX. Doing so will not trip the counter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know it wouldn't trip the counter. I'm curious why I should disable it though.

I followed the video exactly and when I get to the point of the first Restore (around 9:00), it says "Restore Complete - Failed". There is a button to Reboot System. When I tap that, the phone won't turn on. I have to pull the batter to get it back on. I guess I'll be uninstalling Safestrap. If I "Uninstall Recovery" from the stock ROM slot, will the space be freed up again and the phone be returned to the same state as before I tried using Safestrap?

ergalthema said:
I followed the video exactly and when I get to the point of the first Restore (around 9:00), it says "Restore Complete - Failed". There is a button to Reboot System. When I tap that, the phone won't turn on. I have to pull the batter to get it back on. I guess I'll be uninstalling Safestrap. If I "Uninstall Recovery" from the stock ROM slot, will the space be freed up again and the phone be returned to the same state as before I tried using Safestrap?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May I ask what it is that you are restoring? Have you already made a (nandroid) backup? That's what the restore function is made to restore. If you tried to use Restore on some other kind of file, then it would try to overwrite your ROM (OS) with it, and make the phone unusable. If that happens, I think your only fix would be to Odin back to stock and start over from scratch. I believe there is a link to do that in the thread telling how to root the S5.

Zoandroid said:
May I ask what it is that you are restoring? Have you already made a (nandroid) backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The video at 9:00 explains it. I think it is basically flashing the backup I made of the stock ROM to the newly created ROM slot in order to begin running from the new ROM slot.

ergalthema said:
The video at 9:00 explains it. I think it is basically flashing the backup I made of the stock ROM to the newly created ROM slot in order to begin running from the new ROM slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, OK. Since there aren't any ROMs available yet, I did not pursue that aspect of Safestrap. So you have stepped outside my range of experience with it. Hopefully someone else can help you.
If you get to a point in your endeavors where you find a solution to apply ad-blocking to the S5, please let me know in a PM. I've had no luck so far. It appears this will be yet another issue that will only be solved with some creative developer work. Google has done something in KitKat to block not only apps like Ad-Aware and Adblock Plus from working, they also seem to have some kind of snooper utility that, if you try to search online with the S5 for ad blocking, will pop up a browser page saying Google "cannot access" the page! Pages which my PCs can see easily. Crafty little PITAs for sure! I thought it might just be Chrome doing this, so when I tried to get Firefox from the Store, I was stuck in an endless downloading loop. I had to kill that and restore a copy from TIBU. They are doing everything they can think of to lock down a smartphone and spoon feed us only what THEY want us to see. Including copious advertisements.
There was a time when Android meant "freedom". I guess that time has passed. Now it is time for someone else with very deep pockets to re-kindle a hassle-free smartphone OS. It is a shame. Android has so much potential.

ergalthema said:
The video at 9:00 explains it. I think it is basically flashing the backup I made of the stock ROM to the newly created ROM slot in order to begin running from the new ROM slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why flash the stock ROM in a newly created ROM slot? You should only create a ROM slot if you decide to run a custom ROM. If not, you can use safestrap to create the backup (nandroid) and save it to your SD card so you always have a "safe" restore point essentially. I run a custom ROM in my stock slot. And for the record... There are several ROMs in the development section which are quite stable. Also, you can check out the Safestrap thread there as well. If you read through the thread you'll have a better understanding of how it works and what bugs there are right now.
The thing that I find great about XDA is that folks will always try to help each other out. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Do we have a thread where folks are reporting having tried various versions of the available ROMs for the Verizon S5, and can make a simple statement about what works and what doesn't? I think that would be a really good idea. Without something like that, the only way to really know which ones are trouble free is to slog through and read each and every post on every ROM thread, most of which will usually be outdated information anyway.
Maybe it could be done as a Poll so it doesn't grow into something just as long to read as the above.

Zoandroid said:
Do we have a thread where folks are reporting having tried various versions of the available ROMs for the Verizon S5, and can make a simple statement about what works and what doesn't? I think that would be a really good idea. Without something like that, the only way to really know which ones are trouble free is to slog through and read each and every post on every ROM thread, most of which will usually be outdated information anyway.
Maybe it could be done as a Poll so it doesn't grow into something just as long to read as the above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be great - especially for the people who aren't on this site all day and don't know what is good and current.
shoresteve626 said:
Why flash the stock ROM in a newly created ROM slot? You should only create a ROM slot if you decide to run a custom ROM. If not, you can use safestrap to create the backup (nandroid) and save it to your SD card so you always have a "safe" restore point essentially. I run a custom ROM in my stock slot. And for the record... There are several ROMs in the development section which are quite stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm realizing that's probably what most people do. In the instructional video posted on the main Safestrap OP, it instructed to keep the original stock slot intact, and use a new slot for experimenting with another ROM. I would love to know a stable ROM that gives the most vanilla Android.

[Q] Question about backing up before using Odin to load new ROM

What is the best/most thorough way to back up my device before Odin'ing new ROMs? I'm preparing to do this for the fist time.
Pics/videos: easy, I can manually copy to computer, manually replace when on new OS.
Contacts: sync'd to Google gmail cloud, will populate once new OS is installed.
Apps: Mostly just re-download the apps that I want (this will be a good way to purge apps I don’t use anymore)
I also made a copy of the entire /system/apps folder manually, but I don't know if that will even be useful if I need it.
Question: will the apps I’m currently using (4.2.2 OS) even work on Lollipop ROM if I was to reinstall my current .apk manually onto the new OS?
What about app data? Is that stored somewhere else if I want to save it? (I have several apps that I would want to save data/progress)
SMS/MMS: do I need to get an app to backup SMS/MMS (I see lots of options on the Play store), or can I do this manually?
Call log history: same question as above.
Other phone settings – will this even be relevant once I change my OS from 4.2.2 to Lollipop?
Wifi settings? Chrome bookmarks, passwords?
Is there anything else I need to back up?

It depends on whether you're rooted, or whether you have a custom recovery installed.

Buccanero said:
It depends on whether you're rooted, or whether you have a custom recovery installed.
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I assume you mean my current setup? I am currently running stock AT&T version 4.2.2, rooted.
My desire is to get custom lollipop ROM (rooted) running as the end product.

You might be able to do this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g2/help/how-to-restore-kitkat-apps-titanium-t3005385

I backed up with SafeStrap and when I went to my new ROM I just restored the data partition and got all of my MMS/Text data, apps, game progress, etc. back. Obviously if you restore the system partition you`ll be right back where you started. Even kept my data across three bootloop situations that arose from outdated file downloads and an Odin reflash.

Bucanero, Thanks for the link, that certainly could come in handy for what I plan to do.
VoodooJeff said:
I backed up with SafeStrap and when I went to my new ROM I just restored the data partition and got all of my MMS/Text data, apps, game progress, etc. back. Obviously if you restore the system partition you`ll be right back where you started. Even kept my data across three bootloop situations that arose from outdated file downloads and an Odin reflash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jeff, you raise a question I had not yet realized - the first step in my plan (after doing all this manual backing up) had been to use Odin to flash a rootable ROM, that I could then upgrade (and keep root) to Lollipop, and THEN install safestrap to begin the custom ROM experience.
Should I install safestrap NOW and use it to back everything up? I'm thinking maybe yes.

sac02 said:
Bucanero, Thanks for the link, that certainly could come in handy for what I plan to do.
Jeff, you raise a question I had not yet realized - the first step in my plan (after doing all this manual backing up) had been to use Odin to flash a rootable ROM, that I could then upgrade (and keep root) to Lollipop, and THEN install safestrap to begin the custom ROM experience.
Should I install safestrap NOW and use it to back everything up? I'm thinking maybe yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DON'T DO ANYTHING YET! What version of 4.2.2 are you on? Mdb, mdl, or mf3? Look at the last three characters of your buildnumber in settings, more, about device. You need to do some more research. You don't flash custom roms with Odin (and there is not rootable lollipop rom). You may also not need/want to use safestrap depending on what version of 4.2.2 you're on.
Edit, forgot I saw you here, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=61279434
Best thing for backup is let Google backup your apps and data, contacts, passwords, etc. Pics, music, etc, backup to your pc. Sms/mms, try sms backup and restore.
If you let Google backup your apps and data, when you re-setup your device and sign into your Google account they will be restored.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app

sac02 said:
Bucanero, Thanks for the link, that certainly could come in handy for what I plan to do.
Jeff, you raise a question I had not yet realized - the first step in my plan (after doing all this manual backing up) had been to use Odin to flash a rootable ROM, that I could then upgrade (and keep root) to Lollipop, and THEN install safestrap to begin the custom ROM experience.
Should I install safestrap NOW and use it to back everything up? I'm thinking maybe yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I`m sure there are people on here with deeper answers, but Safestrap has saved my a$$ plenty of times. The cool thing is that it will save the backup file to your SD card, so you flash the new system, lose safestrap, reinstall it and BAM, there is your preserved backup. The S4 is such a fickle device, and as pointed out there are firmware versions that don`t play nice with mods. The link I used to get mine to cooperate had a whole crapload of links to get from pretty much any base to any other, but some of the procedures are pretty convoluted.

jd1639 said:
DON'T DO ANYTHING YET! What version of 4.2.2 are you on? Mdb, mdl, or mf3? Look at the last three characters of your buildnumber in settings, more, about device. You need to do some more research. You don't flash custom roms with Odin (and there is not rootable lollipop rom). You may also not need/want to use safestrap depending on what version of 4.2.2 you're on.
Edit, forgot I saw you here, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=61279434
Best thing for backup is let Google backup your apps and data, contacts, passwords, etc. Pics, music, etc, backup to your pc. Sms/mms, try sms backup and restore.
If you let Google backup your apps and data, when you re-setup your device and sign into your Google account they will be restored.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on 4.2.2, MF3. So I'm pretty sure I need to rely on Odin/safestrap - since I'm MF3, I can't use loki like MDB or MDL right?
Sorry, my terminology is not so accurate - I plan to use Odin to INSTALL (is install the right word, not flash?) this ROM:
Rootable NB1 OTA -- I337UCUFNB1_Rootable_Full_Odin.rar -- from here. Thanks muniz_ri
Then root with towelroot.
Then upgrade to OC3 (keeproot method) per here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...-to-update-to-i337oc3-5-0-1-keeproot-t3075814
Then proceed to custom OC3 ROM per here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=60324305#post60324305